A rumor surfaced today that Stellantis, parent company to Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot, and countless other brands, is considering selling off Maserati in a bid to streamline its product lineup and return to profitability. The juggernaut, formed when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group merged in 2021, has a whopping 16 active brands in its portfolio, and although previous leadership insisted that Stellantis would maintain each and every one of them, it’s possible incoming CEO Antonio Filosa will consider a different tactic when he starts on Monday, selling the Italian luxury marque that makes the Grecale crossover and the MC20 supercar.
Maserati Denies The Rumor Wholesale
Per Reuters, Stellantis hired a consulting firm named McKinsey & Company in April to help it navigate the ever-changing tariff situation for U.S. imports of the Italian Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands, and at the time, the parent company said it was committed to keeping both in its portfolio. However, sources told Reuters that McKinsey is including divesting Masi from the lineup as one of its recommendations to help beleaguered Stellantis achieve higher profit margins as it contends with the tariff situation and challenges from Chinese competitors – vehicles that have been targeted directly at the automaker’s European family car brands Peugeot and Citroen.
That said, CarBuzz reached out to Stellantis and received a short, direct reply: “Respectfully, Maserati is not for sale.” The company wouldn’t comment further on future plans for the brand, which currently doesn’t have any new models in the pipeline following the launch of the MC20 in 2021, the Grecale and GranTurismo in 2023, and the GranCabrio in 2024. A planned three-motor MC20 Folgore EV has been canceled in favor of a higher-performance gasoline variant, and Maserati is building ultra-limited vehicles like the track-only MCXtrema supercar. But the Trident brand’s lineup is growing stale, with only the Grecale carrying the day for today’s mainstream luxury buyer. Gone are the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, as well as the larger Levante SUV, with no replacements planned in the short term.
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Stellantis Is Weighing Its Future Options
According to Reuters, the sale of Maserati is only one of the suggestions that McKinsey plans to suggest to Stellantis. Other corporate improvements could include refocusing on popular and profitable segments – the Ram truck brand, for example, is reintroducing the Hemi V8 after briefly offering only six-cylinders in its half-ton 1500 pickup. The news outlet also reports that Stellantis’ board is split over what to do about Maserati, with some suggesting that getting rid of it would leave the company without a prestige-generating luxury brand, while others argue that revitalizing it would cost resources Stellantis can’t spare.
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Things might change when Maserati receives its marching orders from Filosa. Reuters said a new brand strategy would be revealed shortly after the new CEO takes office next week, which means Masi could theoretically have a revitalized plan for the future that includes higher-volume, entry-level luxury cars as well as its pricey, stylish coupes, convertibles, and supercars.
Source: Reuters
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